On Whose Authority?

These grants from Fed Ed & other agencies go directly to the state agencies, and in some cases, local school districts, without any Congressional approval or oversight. The only elected official involved is the Governor, who signs the affidavit at the front of the grant applications. Our state legislature does not vote on accepting or declining these funds or the terms under which they are accepted.

And then there’s PA’s network of  Intermediate Units (IU) which creates yet another layer of government between the state and local school districts and sets up regions across our state that encompass several counties. These IU’s operate under revenue streams from various state, federal, and local sources, including revenues from private schools. They help push the systems from the state into the local districts.

There are so many levels and layers of bureaucratic muck that we spin our wheels and get nowhere whenever we try to discuss Common Core, data & assessments with anyone in a position of authority. I have likened it to being in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

They get our tax dollars no matter what we think or even if we attempt to extricate our children from the system by homeschooling or sending them to private school (which sadly is becoming less of an alternative as many have also fallen for the Common Core/21st Century Skills/Jobs of the Future/Rigorous propaganda or operate under the control of state law and willingly adopt the state standards anyway).

Next: “A Union Controlled Legislature“